Study finds snowmobiling important for North Country businesses

Snowmobile clubs and their volunteers are being credited with helping smooth down snowfall after snowfall, and along with the snow, are the reason why $586 million is spent a year in New Hampshire each winter by riders.

It has been by all accounts a fabulous snowmobile season statewide, with the possible exception of a rough early January thaw.

Compared to last year, however, where there was only consistent snow in the north, it has been a return to a normal winter.

An economic study for the NH Snowmobile Association prepared yearly by Dr. Mark J. Okrant, and Dr. Daniel S. Lee of the Plymouth State University Institute of Studies and released this past fall shows the importance of snowmobiling to not only to sled dealers but restaurants, gas stations, hotels and jobs throughout the state.

But perhaps in the North Country, where the snow began to stick in November and continues as a mainstay for riders, is its impact felt the most.

Chris Gamache, who heads the state Trails Bureau, noted, "This is an industry in the state of New Hampshire that is run by volunteers. It is all funded by user fees by people who love their sport."

The money goes a long way in New Hampshire, too.

Registration monies go to the clubs to maintain and improve trails.

He gave an example of how the system is built. He pointed to nine miles of new trail which has been groomed this winter between Colebrook and Stewartstown by the Colebrook Ski-Bees.

In the summer and fall, the Ski-Bees took what was an abandoned, state-owned rail corridor and removed the rails and ties to allow for better grooming and snowmobiling.

"In the past we could use the corridor only when there was lots of snow. But now that the rails and ties are gone, we can use it with just a few inches," Gamache said, noting means extending the season three weeks or up to a month, depending on the weather at this time of year.

While the state paid in $40,000 for contractors to remove the rails, he estimated there was between $12,000 and $15,000 worth of volunteer hours which went in to the project, benefiting all sledders.

There are 114 such clubs in the state which groom and maintain the massive trail network of more than 7,700 miles. The amount of money available for projects depends on the number of registered vehicles. Registrations pay for the maintenance and upkeep.

There were 56,645 registered sleds between May 2010 and April 2011, according to the study. That is down from a high of about 70,000 over the past decade and while license numbers are not yet finalized, because the state's tallies are a month or more behind, it is looking like there were more registrations this year.

The study relied upon surveys mailed to a representative sample of license holders. More than who 1,000 answered indicated average spending per day at $79 for in-state and $114 from out-of-state travel.

The study indicates snowmobiling accounts for 5.2 percent of all traveler spending in the state. It has been an important part of the state's tourism economy since the 1970s, the report states.

Gail Hanson, executive director of the statewide organization, said clubs are key to keeping the well-oiled machine rolling and only matched in importance by the snow itself.

Other trail projects completed with state funds this year included a three-mile new route through Bridgewater to deal with some property owner issues and a new three-mile section of the route through Rumney which had to be redesigned to the west to avoid conflict with the new Groton Wind park, Gamache said.

Outgoing Commissioner of Resources and Economic Development Commissioner George Bald noted that the trails bureau and the clubs are a wonderful partnership which helps tourism.

"New Hampshire is regarded nationwide as having one of the best trail systems," Bald said.

Hanson noted that the trail completed by the volunteers along Route 3 in Coos County will also allow for all-terrain vehicle use, and that further expands the impact of the trail work on the economy.

Now the state has over 1,000 miles of ATV trails, Gamache said and there are efforts to make the north country a nationwide destination for ATV use, with the new Jericho State Park in Berlin as an anchor. North Country towns are opening up roads for limited ATV and snowmobile use to allow riders to access stores from the trails.